"The HC-130 Hercules aircraft has been an essential part of the 106th’s Rescue Wing’s fleet for many decades, supporting these brave Airmen in meeting their mission requirements time and time again.” -Ray Burick

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The latest version of the AC-130J Ghostrider gunship has been delivered to the 4th Special Operations Squadron.

The 1st Special Operations Wing said in a news release Wednesday that the gunship is the first Block 30 Ghostrider for Air Force Special Operations Command and U.S. Special Operations Command. It was delivered to the 4th SOS — which is based at Hurlburt Field in Florida — in a small unveiling ceremony at Bob Skies Airport in Crestview, Florida.

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The USAF is to award Lockheed Martin a contract to replace the centre-wing section on an undisclosed number of C-130J/C-130J-30 Hercules transport aircraft. Source: IHS Markit/Patrick Allen

The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded Lockheed Martin a sole-source contract to replace the centre-wing section on an undisclosed number of C-130J/C-130J-30 Hercules transport aircraft, the service disclosed on 3 March.

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Japanese police have opened an investigation after someone pointed a laser at two Yokota-based C-130J cargo aircraft Monday evening.

The incidents occurred near Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo at around 6:30 p.m., a Fussa Police Department spokesman said Wednesday.

A green laser targeted the Super Hercules from the ground somewhere in the Tokyo town of Mizuho, according to the Mainichi newspaper. It did not cause any damage or injuries and the aircraft did not change course.

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New Delhi: The Indian Air Force has found that one of the chief reasons why a brand new C-130 J Super Hercules aircraft crashed in 2014 and killed five crew members, including the pilots, was “inadequate training”, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report tabled in Parliament Wednesday.

What’s shocking about this finding is that a simulator for this aircraft had been available since 2012, but was used for training only in 2016 because the IAF and manufacturer Lockheed Martin could not finalise a usage contract.

Less than 10 minutes after the aircraft took off from Agra on 28 March 2014, it crashed 115 km west of Gwalior while on a routine training mission.

Two wing commanders, two squadron leaders and another crew member were killed in the crash.

The C-130J aircraft

The Indian Air Force had first bought six C-130 J aircraft, meant for special operations, through the Foreign Military Sales (government-to-government) route in 2008 for $962.45 million.

The IAF later went in for procurement of six additional aircraft through the same route.

The aircraft is meant for special mission roles, and is fitted with an infrared detection set, enabling precision low-level flying.

The aircraft can land on unpaved surfaces and requires a very short take-off and landing space. It has proved to be a huge asset for the Indian military.

Simulator not used for 3.5 years

The CAG noted that one C-130J-30 aircraft procured under initial contract met with a “CAT-I fatal flying accident” in March 2014.

“Investigation concluded inadequate experience and training of the crew as one of reasons for the aircraft and recommended operationalization of Simulator for C-130 J30 at the earliest as one of the remedial measure (sic),” the report stated.

The audit observed that the simulator was provided by the vendor, Lockheed Martin, “against contract of January 2009, on a user rate payment basis”.

It noted that despite the installation of the simulator in December 2012, training could not be imparted for more than three-and-a-half years to pilots (December 2012 to November 2016) due to non-finalisation of usage contract.

“The simulator was installed but could not be put to use due to non-finalisation of usage rate contract by IAF. Usage rate contract was signed (August 2016) and training on simulator actually commenced in November 2016,” the report said.

The defence ministry accepted the delay in commissioning of training simulator, though it stated that inadequate training was not the primary reason for the accident.

“However, (the) audit noted that the IAF investigation report had pointed out inadequate training as one of the reasons for the accident,” the report stated.

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I just finished reading The Peacemakers by Richard Herman. Besides the outrageous story line (it is a novel), it was nice to read about the C-130 by someone who has a working knowledge of the airplane. I did find a few mistakes, but I'm a flight engineer. The author must have been a navigator because he never calls a map a map. It's always a chart.
Don R.

Sonny, got back from Eglin cant sleep thought I'd get back to you about the Ubon Reunion. Only ran into 1 Blind Bat person just as we were assembling for outside picture by the SR-71. We talked a bit he saw my7 BB pin told him i would see him and give him 1 on return from Hurlburt, this was Wednesday did not see him rest of reunion did not get his name. I will post and see if he responds. A lot of Spectre people in fack the local newspaper did an interview with Spectre guys who crewed First Lad

N404LC hit the 75K airframe limit and parked and stripped for serviceable parts. N402LC and N405LC was never leased to Coulson, it was more of partnership that no longer exist. Both are back in full Lynden livery.
Lynden owns all of SAFAIRs aircraft, currently being leased back to SAFAIR until the company is ready for them.

Here's the University of Dayton's article about what 63-7872 is doing - it's being used to help the USAF keep these old planes such as the C-130, KC-135, B-52, C-5, etc... keep on going, keep on flying - https://udayton.edu/blogs/udri/19-05-15-c-130.php?fbclid=IwAR2Tct-lxjH2IWCXLTHuA0Hce8GTf9hFdgKHs9PXuat3rxSCllhwMIcQwTU#.XNwVlM4SDmg.twitter

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I clean house every other day. Today is the other day.
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I would cook dinner but I can't find the can opener!
A clean kitchen is the sign of a wasted life.
My house was clean last week, too bad you missed it!
I came, I saw, I decided to order take out.
If you

A man and a woman are sleeping together when suddenly there is a noise in the house, and the woman rolls over and says, "It's my husband, you have to leave!" The man jumps out of bed, jumps through the window, crawls through the bushes, and out on the street, when he realizes something. He goes back to the house and says to the woman, "Wait, I'm your husband!" She replies giving him a dirty look, "So why did you run?"

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